Rotary steam-engine



(No Modem F. FISCHER.

. ROTARY STEAM ENGINB. No. 250,722. Patented 1360,13, 188L www mwmv UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH FISCHER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRIEDRTCH FISCHER, of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Rotary Steam-Engine, ot' which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to save material, labor, and expense in constructing an engine, to diminish the size and bulk ot' an engine of a given capacity, to thereby economize space in locating and operating it, and to augment the power derived from a given quantity of steam.

Heretofore a continuous piston `having packing in its periphery has been xed to a rotating shaft in an inclined position to engage a corresponding groove in a parallel rotating shaft or cylinder. A spiral-shaped piston or cam on a reciprocating rod or shaft has been combined with a steam-cylinder and abutments having cam-shaped planes to produce a rectilinear reciprocating motion, and also a rotary motion.

My invention consists, first, in combining a continuous piston with a rotating shaft and hub and a steam-cylinder in such a manner that it will be in the form of an ellipse, with its ends constantly in direct contact with the heads of the cylinder while at rest or in motion, as required, to constantly maintain two distinct steam-chambers in the cylinder 5 second, in forming and combining with a cylinder a reciprocating slide to carry self-adjusting abutments from one end of the cylinder toy the other, as req uired, to follow the piston that extends circumt'erentiallyand diagonally from the revolving hub in the cylinder, all as here'- inafter fully set forth.

Figure l of my accompanying drawings is a perspective view of my engine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail view, illustrating the construction of my piston. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the line a: a' of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the construction of my slide and selfadj ustingabutments. J ointlyconsidered,these gures clearly illustrate the construction and operation of my complete invention.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,722, dated December 13, 1881.

Application tiled J une 15, 1881. (No model.)

A represents an engine-shaft, and B a hub formed or xed thereto.

O is a cylinder.

D D are the heads of the cylinder.

D are annular anges, that extend inward from the heads D and tit closely between the cylinder C and revolving hub B.

D represents suitable packing material placed between the ends of the hub B and the heads D, and-around the revolving shaft A, as required, to form a steam-tight connection or stuffing-box, within which the shaft can revolve.

E is my piston, that extends diagonally around the hub B in such a manner that its periphery will loe concentric with the hub and cylinder, while its inclined body is an ellipse. The inner edge of the piston is fixed in a corresponding groove formed in the periphery'ot the hub. The ends of the ellipse engage the side faces of the flanges D on the heads of the cylinder continuously as the hub and piston is revolved, and the periphery of the piston at the same time engages the inner face of the cylinder, and the cylinder-chamber is thereby continually divided diagonally into two co'mpartments. The piston is composed of two plates, ff,V and an intermediate plate of packing material, g, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is a sliding section ot' the piston, that carries a projecting packing, h', that is pressed outward by means ot' a suitable spring, h, as required, to engage the anges D', that extend inward from the cylinder-heads. One of these detachable sliding sections is tted in a corresponding opening formed in each end of th ellipse ot' the piston.

I I are boxes formed on or fixed to the top portions of the cylinder-heads D, to receive the ends of my reciprocating slide, that carries abutments to engage the revolving piston. Openings corresponding with the box-chainbers and the slide are formed in the heads D. A groove, 7s, (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) is also formed in the under side of the top portion of the cylinder G, to receive the upper edge or portion of the slide.

J :is the slide that moves in the chambers of the boxes I and the groove 7c, as required, to

maintain a partition between the induction and Y eduction ports Nos. l and 2, that extend vertically through the top of the cylinder from the steam-chest L, and in combination with the divided cylinder-chamber form a steam-circuit.

'm is an opening in the under portion and longitudinal center of the slide.

a n are detachable and adjustable abuttingblocks fittedinto correspondingcavities formed in the slide L, to extend inward and upward from the opening m, as shown in Fig. 6.

Springs r, placed in the cavities and in rear of the blocks a, constantly press the blocks toward each other, as required, to abut against the side faces of the revolving piston.

s represents a spring fixed on the top edge of the slide to keep the lower edge of the slide pressed upon the periphery of the revolving hub, as required, to maintain a steam-tight connection therewith.

fw represents a tubular stem and eductiontube, connected with the reversible slide-valve y in the steam-chest L. It passes outward through a stuffing-box fixed in or to the end of the chest, and is operated by means of a suitable lever, to serve as a means for adjusting the valve and reversing the motion ot' the engine, and also as an eduction-tube to carry oft' the exhausted steam.

a represents a tube, through which steam is admitted into the chest L.

By simply forming an opening in the bottom of the cylinder my invention can be advantageously used as a hydraulic engine or watermotor.

To vary the power and capacity of my engine I simply vary the size.

From the detail specifications of the construction and function of each part of my inventionv their unitary operation is obvious, and any practical mechanic will be enabled thereby to construct my improved engine and operate it.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a continuous and circumferentially-inclined piston having packing in its periphery, and also at its ends, a rotating hub or shaft, and a steamcylinder, substantially as shown and described, to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes specied.

2. In a rotary engine, the slide J, having an opening, m, and carrying self-adjusting abutting-blocks n, the cylinder C D, having boxes I at its ends, and the combined shaft and hub A B, having a continuous fixed piston, E, arranged and combined substantially as shown and described, for the purposes specified.

3. rI he improved rotary engine composed ot' the following elements and specific devices, to wit: the shaft A, having a hub, B, the cylinder G, having ports Nos. 1 and 2 and flanged beads D D', the continuous and circumferentially-inclined ellipse and piston E, having detachable sections It at its ends carrying adjustable packings h', the boxes I, the slide J, having an opening, fm, carrying self-adjusting abutting-blocks ln, a steam-chamber, L, and a reversible slide-valve, substantially as shown and described.

FRIEDRICH FISCHER.

Witnesses:

J. C. STARR,` HENRY J. MoHMn. 

